Dear VOCAL Community,

I am sad to announce that I will be resigning from my job at VOCAL. My last day to work will be Friday February 17. 

My seven years at VOCAL have been wonderful in so many ways. I feel so lucky to have had this fabulous job, working with so many courageous, generous, heroic people -- and doing such important work.

I think it's probably rare to be in a job that constantly feeds you and connects you to the core of human spirit.  I know that many people reading this have had this kind of experience -- paid or unpaid -- in working for recovery.

I believe deeply in the importance and effectiveness of peers helping peers, of our self-empowerment for recovery, and of peer leadership in creating a total environment that supports recovery and the worth and dignity of everyone. 

I will remain a loyal VOCAL member.  I wish you all the best in your recovery and your work towards our mutual goals.

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Come One, Come All! to Ann Benner's Commencement and VOCAL Reunion
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Friday, February 17th at the Java Dragon Cafe in Preston Plaza, Charlottesville
Everyone is welcome, so please come and celebrate Ann!

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Correction! VPSC's Groupsite.com Web Site Still Active 

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Despite earlier announcement in this digest and elsewhere, the site remains:

www.vpsc.groupsite.com

You may also find them on Facebook. 

March 18th ReelABilities Film Festival in Richmond
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Looking for poets for a live poetry reading in Richmond on the evening of March 18. This event is part of the ReelAbilities Film Festival and will take place before the screening of "Crooked Beauty".  More details to follow.

Please contact Malaina at malaina@vocalvirginia.org to reserve a spot.

CPS Certification Process:Learn More & Tell Us What You Think
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Teleconferences Sponsored by the

Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services,

PA Peer Support Coalition, & PA Certification Board

Wednesday, February 15th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Friday, February 17th from10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Monday, February 27th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

CALL-IN INFORMATION

Call-in Number:1-877-668-4493

Access codes:   647 937 010 (Feb 15th) 

649 806 162 (Feb 17th) 

642 974 883 (Feb 27th)

Target Audience:  Certified Peer Specialists ONLY!

Please submit any questions you have prior to the teleconferences to Rachelle Weiss at rachelle@pmhca.org.  There will also be a lengthy question and answer session during each teleconference.  We will not be discussing the ethics code during these teleconferences and will provide an opportunity to do so at a later date.  

Looking for Inspiring Recovery Stories
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We're reaching out to you in search of inspiring recovery stories!  Each year, the federal government creates a resource toolkit for National Recovery Month held in September. The toolkit celebrates people in recovery, and provides educational materials to help plan Recovery Month events in local communities.  NCMHR is looking for people like you who are open to sharing their personal recovery stories in the kit.  Your story will give a voice and hope to others in or seeking recovery, their friends and family members. 

Here's what we ask when sharing your story:

·         Please be very brief - no more than two short paragraphs in length (about 300 words or less).

·         Sign and send back the attached consent form. If your story features a minor (someone under 18), the signature of a parent or guardian is also required. Also, please obtain a witness signature where specified.  

·         Include a high-resolution photograph at least 1MB in size (Adobe EPS files preferred; otherwise, format is acceptable except a photo embedded in a Word file, which cannot be used). Also, individual photos with a simple background are preferred.

All stories will be included online and if space permits, in the print version of the toolkit.  As reference, you can view last year's recovery stories here: http://recoverymonth.gov/Recovery-Month-Kit/Targeted-Outreach/Join-the-Voices-For-Recovery.aspx.

For further information: kate.mclain@edelman.com  Deadline is February 15th

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) scholarship application for the 2012 NAMI National Convention is now available.  CMHS provides the scholarship to financially support consumers who wish to participate in the NAMI National Convention.  Please distribute the application to your members.  The application can also be found online at www.nami.org/convention under "FAQs."

The following are guidelines for the scholarship:

·         The scholarships are only for mental health consumers who are U.S. Citizens.

·         Scholarships cover the convention registration fee.  Travel and/or lodging costs may also be covered.

·         Applications must be completed carefully and thoroughly.  Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

·         The deadline for submitting the application is March 12, 2012 (no exceptions).

·         We estimate over 130 people will apply for scholarship funds.  We expect CMHS will choose 15-20 recipients.

·         Applications are NOT to be returned to the NAMI national office. They must be submitted with letter(s) of recommendation by U. S. mail to:

Jackee Williams, CMP  Scholarship Conference Manager  AFYA, Inc.  8101 Sandy Spring Road, Third Floor  Laurel, MD  20707

In order to be considered for a scholarship, a completed application must be received by AFYA via U.S. Mail, and be postmarked on or before thedeadline.  NO FAXED OR E-MAILED SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.For questions about the application, contact Jackee Williams at (301) 957-3040, ext. 263

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Honoring Children of Alcoholics Week February 12th to 18th
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An estimated 25 percent of all children in the United States are affected by or exposed to a family alcohol problem. SAMHSA supports the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) during its Children of Alcoholics (COA) Week. COA Week celebrates the recovery of the many thousands of children (of all ages) who have received the help they needed to recover from the pain and losses suffered in their childhood, and it offers hope to those still suffering from the adverse impact of parental alcohol and drug addiction.

During COA Week, we acknowledge the millions of children affected by a parent's substance use disorder and celebrate that there is hope and healing for these children now and throughout their lives. This week-and throughout the year-remember to ask, "What about the children?" when speaking about recovery from substance use disorders.

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New Study Supports Benefits of Peer-Run Services
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The results of a study of a three-month, peer-run curriculum entitled "Recovery Is Up to You" "suggest that the peer-run course contributed to improvement in important domains of recovery." The study, of 333 individuals in the Netherlands, was published in the January 2012 edition of Psychiatric Services.

Source: http://psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=181278

Too Much Sitting May Harm Mental Health
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Besides being bad for your physical well-being, spending too much time behind a desk may also harm your mental health, according to a study presented recently at a British Psychological Society (BPS) conference. According to the BPS, people average nearly six hours a day sitting at their desks, which is "too much sitting." Scientists from Loughborough University in the UK found a relationship between how much time was spent behind a desk, Body-Mass Index scores and mental wellness. The problem is compounded by the hours that the same individuals spend at home in front of the television or computer, the researchers suggested. The lead researcher urged people to get up to talk to colleagues face to face: "it's a lot more social and better for you than e-mailing them."

Source: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-17/news/30637305_1_lead-researcher-higher-body-mass-index-study

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Addressing Obesity and Chronic Illness among People with Mental
Illnesses: What Works?
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Free Webinar on Monday, February 13th from 1:00-2:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER *Space is limited

To inform health promotion and wellness interventions in communities nationwide, CIHS engaged Stephen Bartels, MD, MS, and the Dartmouth Health Promotion Research Team to complete a compressive research review of nutrition and fitness interventions for people with mental illness who are obese. Dr. Bartels will discuss the research review and its implications.

Webinar Objectives:

• Learn about the existing research on nutrition and fitness interventions for people with serious mental illness who are overweight.
• Gain insight into the characteristics of interventions with proven success.
• Hear recommendations for integrating effective health promotion interventions to improve the health outcomes of this vulnerable population.
• Ask questions and participate in dialogue on health promotion strategies

Speaker:
Stephen Bartels, MD, MS

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Get Ready: Social Security Changes in 2012
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Based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2008 through the third quarter of 2011, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will receive a 3.6 percent COLA (or Cost-of-Living Adjustment) for 2012.  Get more details about the changes here.  

Informal Peer Specialist Training RFP Posted online at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/admin/cm/Solicitations.htm

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Whole Health Peer Training in New Medicaid Service Models
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From Larry Frick, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare:

As one of thousands of certified peer specialists with a lived experience of recovery from mental illness, I know firsthand the power of peer support promoting whole health self-management. The National Council draws on this power to bring you a new training program - the Whole Health Action Management (WHAM) - designed for the rapidly growing peer workforce within integrated physical and behavioral health settings, like Medicaid funded health homes.

The National Council offers the first-ever public WHAM training on April 12-13, 2012, in conjunction with our National Council Mental Health and Addictions Conference in Chicago. This is an exciting opportunity for peer workers to engage on the ground floor in a significant new whole health self-management program that promotes positive whole health outcomes.

Based on a new SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions curriculum ofthe same name, WHAM prepares peers working in community behavioral health centers to institute WHAM peer support groups in their communities. These support groups provide an opportunity for consumers to learn skills in writing person-centered, achievable whole health goals designed for treatment plans.

The training prepares participating peer leaders to:   

• Engage in person-centered planning to identify strengths and supports in 10 science-based whole health and resiliency factors.   
• Write a whole health goal based on person-centered planning.   
• Create and log a weekly action plan.   
• Participate in WHAM peer support groups to create new health behavior.   
• Elicit the Relaxation Response to manage stress.   
• Engage in cognitive skills to avoid negative thinking.   

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Exciting News from the Firewalkers Project!
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The Firewalkers Project is looking for well-written, authentic writing for an upcoming Anthology that focuses on the following themes:

Emotional turbulence
Altered states
Spiritual breakthroughs
Visionary meltdowns
Ecstatic visions
Crazy blessings
Mad gifts

What we are seeking is accessible, enjoyable, surprising pieces that relate to the themes listed above. We are interested in creative nonfiction and essays that show insight, humor, quality of writing and diversity of experience.
Submissions can be emailed as an attachment to malaina@vocalvirginia.org. Submissions must be in 12pt Times Roman font, double-spaced, with numbered pages (max 20). All submissions should be accompanied by a one paragraph author biography. One submission per person. No poetry please.

Writers will retain all rights to their work. Previously published work will be considered. There is no payment except for a copy of the book. This is most definitely a labor of love and a chance to define this experience that may be labeled as "mental illness' in our own terms. The anthology is being planned as a self-published book.

Our first book, Firewalkers: Madness, Mystery and Beauty was also self-published and has sold over 1300 copies and 10,000+ people have visited our website, read the book or attended a Firewalkers event.

Please see www.thefirebook.org or www.vocalvirginia.org for more information.